Tag Archives: mcdowell county

Good morning, kittens & dawgs! I interrupt the regular program to bring you this special announcement…. I preëmpt all routine posts to bring you my contributions to this month’s largest blogging event. Don’t worry, normal posting will resume next month like clockwork (I hope). Meanwhile, I invite you to stick around to enjoy the #AprilA2Z fun!

How are things with you? Life is good. In Meet my grandparents part I, you met my maternal grandparents. Today, I want to tell you what I know about my other set of grandparents in the Old Days – Meet My Grandparents Part II!

The history on my dad’s side is a bit sketchy at best. I didn’t spend a lot of time with my paternal grandparents as I did my other set of grandparents. Although, Dolly is younger than my daddy I felt this song was right for this morning’s music choice. Let me start by introducing to you my grandmother….

Nancy Roberts

Grandma is the sweetheart to the far right in this vintage photo. I don’t know who the others are, but in time I will gather their names. Photographed circa 1924

My paternal grandfather is a bit of a mystery, but grandma named Daddy’s biological father years ago. Long story short (maybe another time), Grandma never married. Meet…

Arther Lester

The woman in the photo is Arther Lester’s wife (not my grandma). I borrowed this photo from a relative on Facebook or Ancestry.

In my young years, Grandma lived with old man Lige Estep. This is another story in itself and I doubt I’ll ever learn everything to give the story justice, but Lige is Grandma’s step-father.

Pictured left to right: Lige Estep, Grandma, Daddy, and an unknown woman with a little girl. Kneeling in front is Dee Roberts (Daddy’s brother) and an unknown boy. I suspect it’s the mid-50s judging Daddy’s youthful appearance.

Grandma was a kind person full of laughs. I don’t think I ever saw her mad in all of my life. I recollect fondly of her with a cup of coffee in her hand and always laughing about something someone shared. In many ways, I see this very quality in my daddy. Of course, I have seen my daddy mad, but this post isn’t about him. lol

Grandma died from cancer in September 1980. She was 72 years old. Her story has interested me for years and I want to write a fiction novel loosely based on her life. I penned a snippet a year ago, but I have yet to finish penning my inspirations. I guess I time to get off my duff and do something about it!

What is your favorite, old days memory? Do you draw inspiration in your writings from old family members? Have you recorded digitally (audio or video) any of their old stories?

)Good-morning, kittens & dawgs! Did y’all have long holiday weekend? It was nice to spend the extra day with DH. On Saturday, we took a trip to Brevard, NC which sits at the edge of Pisgah National Forest. Come back tomorrow for a little photo share from our visit. Sunday, we stayed home and watched the last of the NFL play-offs. We rooted for the Packers, but in the last two minutes of the game the Seahawks got with the program and pulled off a victory. The second game, we figured there would be no contest between the Patriots and Colts. And, as it turned out, we were right. The Patriots ran away with the game at 45-7. So, Boston and Seattle will go head-to-head in Super Bowl 49. Who will you root for?

I’m happy you decided to join me this morning. Recently, I started digging into my family’s past and kicked off my genealogy series with Meet my parents and this morning I want to introduce my maternal grandparents to you.

Meet Joe Crockett & Leatrice Joy Payne Hagerman. Photographed taken in 1944. I recall Grandma saying she was 18 in this picture. They would have been newly married, no doubt. My mother wasn’t born yet. I think this was on their old homestead in Groundhog Hollow in the town of Jolo, West Virginia (McDowell County).

Click to enlarge. In the coming weeks, I’ll explore and share with you the various branches of the Hagerman family tree.

Born in McDowell County in southern West Virginia on May 15, 1924 as Joe C. Hagerman, Grandpa was known by most as Crockett.

Grandpa was lanky and dubbed the nickname Stringbean which was perfect fit.

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Click to enlarge. This is the Payne branch of my family tree, which I’ll explore and share with you in future installments.

On June 11, 1926 Leatrice Joy Payne was born. I remember Grandma telling me she was named after a well-known silent film star.

Joy was a good name for Grandma with her sweet personality which radiated joy through her smile.

Grandpa enlisted in the service during WWII, but it’s unclear if he actually saw combat. My grandparents married July 11, 1944 and my mother was born in 1945.

Grandpa worked in the coalfields of West Virginia and like many miners, the Black Lung disease forced him out of the mining industry. Life was simple in the hills. They tended a garden in the warm months and kept chickens & hogs. I think they had cow and a horse, but my memory isn’t 100% certain or not. Gathering eggs with Grandma was a bit frightening. The old hens would fly around in the coop and I was afraid they’d scratch my eyes out or peck me to death if they get tangled in my long locks, but still I followed close behind Grandma to lend a hand. Why I even helped to slop the hogs with Grandma or with one of uncles. Both chores were smelly, but I don’t think I minded too much. That was just the way things were.

This is just a sweet picture of my dear grandparents. Grandma was always the more serious one and Grandpa a bit more goofy. You can really see their love for one another in this photo. I miss them so much.

My grandparents were decent, hard-working, and charitable folks. Grandpa was an old timey preacher. He didn’t need to attend seminary school like many do today. In fact, the only education he ever got was in grammar school. Everything he learned about God came straight from the Bible and everything God placed on his heart, he spoke to others. His service to God was non-pretentious and true.

In my early years, I learned how faith worked through my grandparents. Every time I was sick, grandpa and grandma prayed over me. Any time, I had an achy tooth or sore ear, I asked them to talk to God to make me well. When I got hurt, they touched my body and asked God to remove the pain. I don’t recall ever a time that my suffering wasn’t made better when I asked for them to pray for me. Teaching a small one that faith is the belief in the unseen is an essential first step for a child to understand God’s gift of eternal life.

Pictured from left to right: Grandpa, my son ~ Austin, me, my aunt~Mary Lou, and Grandma. Image captured July 2011 a few months before Grandpa passed. I am grateful to have that last visit with them both, but especially with Grandpa.

Grandpa and Grandma ministered not only to a person’s spiritual needs, but to their physical necessities. They worked in a program providing food and clothing to the under privileged. My grandparents were the type of people who would give the shirt off their backs to help another. Their hearts were pure gold. Looking strictly from a monetary stance, I don’t know how they got by except to say God provided for them daily and I know they felt richer for it.

In 2011, Grandpa went home to heaven. My grandparents celebrated 67 wedding anniversaries. At the close of my grandparents’ lives, I truly understood their devotion to one another. They were more than husband and wife. They were best friends, soul mates, and life partners to the end. December 2012, the circle completed as Grandma crossed into heaven to be with Grandpa.

If you knew my grandparents, please share a story about them with my readers in the comments section. Next up, I’ll share my paternal grandparents in Meet the grandparents part II. I hope you’ll join me for the next installment of the Roberts/Hagerman Genealogy.

Hello, kittens & dawgs! How’s life treating you? Years ago, we bought two hardcover books about DH’s Kennedy/Horn family heritage and ever since then I wanted to learn about my family background. Last month DD#2 inspired me to do my own digging with ancestry.com after she mentioned it. So, here goes nothing! I’d like you to meet my parents: Joetta Hagerman and Oscar Roberts

image was snapped inside my maternal grandparents home in Jolo, WV (Groundhog Hollow). My mother is about 14 or 15 here. My Dad is 7-years her senior. The small child is of my second cousin, Michael Campbell (son of Della Payne & Charlie Campbell).

Good morning, kittens & dawgs! It’s Friday. Join me in linking with photographers across the globe in Skywatch Friday.

1982 World’s Fair iconic “Sunsphere”

For Flashback Friday, I wanted to share this old news article on my DH’s grandpa. We scanned the original. The paper is yellow and a bit difficult to read, so I converted the image to B&W. Click to enlarge, it really makes a difference! Read Grandpa’s harrowing account of the worst storm of his life beginning in paragraph three.

Welch Daily News September 10, 1957

One Christmas, we printed, matted, and framed this article as a present to my in-laws. It turned out nice, too.

Before you go, you may want to link your photographic wonder to this week’s WW linkup party. Thank you for making me apart of your day. Please leave a comment so I know you came and I will hop over to your place. Have a foto-tastic day!

Good morning, my lovelies! Earlier in the week, I danced to Hometown, USA songs, which inspired me to share these old photos.

Before my big girl camera, I used my Canon SD880 ELPH point n’ shoot camera. This is the view from my in-law’s porch. Just behind the garage and to the right of the barn is where my in-laws kept a garden. You’ll even see they have a small vineyard, not for wine making, but for eating. Oh, boy are those awesome grapes, too!!

I love barns! My DH’s grandfather (his dad’s dad) built this barn more than a 100-years ago. The land this barn is on was given or sold to my father-in-law. Through the years, my FIL maintained this structure so it didn’t fall to ruins. In recent years, he hired someone to replace the roof on all their buildings. I love the green tin roof, don’t you? Image captured with my Canon SD880 ELPH camera.

Before you go, you may want to link your photographic wonder to this week’s WW link up party, here. Thank you for making me apart of your day. Please leave your comments footprints so that I know you came and I will hop over to your place soon. Have a fototastic day!

I grew up in McDowell county in southern West Virginia. This is home of the Rocket Boys from Homer Hickam’s memoirs portrayed in the 1999 motion picture October Sky.

Are you ready to boogie? Lace up your blue suede shoes. It’s time to dance. This week’s theme is “Hometown, USA” Tell us where you are from and post your hometown bands, artists, or songs.

I have been away from home for 35 years. Needless to say, I do not know what local musicians are getting their groove on, but here are few artists/songwriters I grew up with who are still doing what they love!

There are other musical talents from back in the day, but these two are the only ones I know who are keeping the music alive. I would love to hear from friends telling me what’s going on with who!

Here’s an interesting tidbit for ya! Did you know, according to Wikipedia Christian pop artist/songwriter Michael W. Smith and Country music singer Brad Paisley are from the wild, wonderful state of West Virginia? Not me! Isn’t that cool?

One of my all-time favorite songs about wild, wonderful West Virginia is from a Rocky Mountain high folks artist. Come on sing along with me….

Before I go, I wanted to say, although I didn’t grow up in Knoxville it’s very much my new hometown after 35 years. That being said, allow me to introduce to you local talent Jason Terry.

Did you have a good time on the dance floor? I did. Why not show some blog love? Invite your friends to join the 4M crew now. There’s always room for one more!

On behalf of the lovely Dancing Queen, Marie and her Solid Gold dancers ~ Callie, Stacy, Michelle and I thank you for joining us for another week of Monday’s Music Moves Me.

Now, it’s time for you to ask us to step out on the dance floor with you. By linking your musical post below you are inviting the 4M crew for a boogie down to your tunes. Remember to hop over to dance with our Spotlight Dancer at #1.

Next stop… your place!

1. Grab XmasDolly 4M button here. 2. Display it on your blog. 3. Add your favorite YouTube videos. FYI: we dance freebie style every other week, and on the off weeks we dance to a chosen theme picked by the previous week Spotlight Dancer. You can find it listed on XmasDolly’s side menu. That all being said, we aren’t music snobs. As long as you have tunes for us to dance to, then you’re cool!

Welcome to 132ndedition of Monday’s Music Moves Me. This week’s theme is “Songs that tell a story of your life“!

Whenever I think of my life, I always think of John Denver’s Take Me Home Country Roads song. It was a favorite of mine in 1971 hitting the charts at #2 and still today it remains a favorite tied to sentimental feelings. Join me as I paint a picture through songs – a story of my life!

Coming from humble beginnings from the Appalachian hills of McDowell County – Home of the Rocket Boys (A.K.A October Sky), I am a southern West Virginia gal at heart. In my quest to find the ultimate West Virginia songs, I stumbled upon this slideshow presentation of the area I call home set to Kathy Mattea’s Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia...

The mountaineer’s way of life can be found in the coalfields. It’s a hard labor, but essential for the coal miner’s existence and our country’s dependency on coal. I always felt proud and still do to say, I’m a coal miners’ daughter….

My years in my native home state were short. At the tender age of 17, I married and moved away. The summer of 1979 this became my new home…

The Osborne Brothers did the original, but I decided to use Buck Owens version of Rocky Top. This old classic is the fight song of the University of Tennessee’s – Knoxville. Big Orange fan’s sense a swell of pride as the school’s marching band performs this tune dozens of times throughout a game.

Dolly Parton, one of American’s great female country artists, is not only from East Tennessee, but she got her start here in Knoxville in 1956 on The Cas Walker Show. Unlike Dolly who grew up in the Tennessee hills, the mountains are a short call away for us. However, on clear days, we can see those beautiful Smoky Mountains from our home and although, we are not native Tennesseans we feel like the Tennessee mountains are our home.

Are you ready to get dancing? Admission to this awesome dance party is totally doable. Here’s what you do….

Go to YouTube insert your music video of choice

Grab the “Monday’s Music Moves Me” Button

Follow all 4 hosts, including the honorary co-host.

Link your 4M below

Hostess of this virtual dance party is Marie of XmasDolly along with her co-hostesses: